Review: Qii Tea Mixers
Tea, coffee, and plenty of other drinks are rotten for your teeth, so Ted Jin, a former Pepsi executive, has come to the rescue. His solution: Qii, a beverage designed to improve oral health by replacing sugar with a xylitol-based sweetener called XyVita. “Unlike sugars, xylitol doesn’t feed these bacteria and reduces disease-causing plaque in…
Review: Deep Eddy Orange Vodka and Peach Vodka
We’ve reviewed nearly all of the Austin-based Deep Eddy vodka line, except for this duo of flavors — orange and peach. As with all Deep Eddy vodkas, these are bottled with a significant amount of natural color and even sediment, driven by the flavoring element inside. Both are 70 proof. Deep Eddy Orange Vodka –…
Review: Wines of Flora Springs Napa Valley Collection, 2018 Releases
Our recent coverage notwithstanding, summertime doesn’t mean you can only drink whites and reds. Sometimes, a feast is in order, and with it, a bold red wine, like one of these two offerings from Flora Springs, both from the 2015 vintage. And hey, because it is summer, let’s look at two whites as well. All wines…
A Visit to Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery
Should a whisky fan make the lengthy trek across the Pacific in search of the secrets of Japanese distilling, one would be wise to start at the source. That’s what I did anyway, on a recent pilgrimage to Yamazaki, the first whisky distillery in Japan, which was built in 1923 and is still going strong…
Book Review: Tasting Cider
Erin James really loves cider, and based on this book, she appears to know more about the category than anyone else on earth. This boldly colorful guide walks readers through this vastly complicated — and rapidly growing — category, starting with a history of cider and a digest of how it is made, including a…
Review: Calwise Big Sur Gin
Calwise Spirits is a new distillery in Paso Robles, which is becoming quite the hotbed of craft distillation. The brainchild of Aaron Bergh, who at 25 is one of the youngest master distillers in the world, Calwise has launched with a trio of spirits: two rums and this, “a native California coastal herb-infused gin” called…
Recipe: The Third Man
The Third Man is the brainchild of Nashville’s Henrietta Red, and it starts with the classic combination of Campari and grapefruit juice. Originally designed as a vehicle for Belle Meade Bourbon, it works great with any bourbon you can lay your hands on. I recommend using a bonded whiskey (or something of higher proof), and…
Wine Touring on Russian River Valley’s Olivet Road
Going to the Russian River Valley? Want to find a place to visit several family-owned wineries, be surrounded by lush vineyards, and not have to drive or walk too far to get to each? I offer my day on Olivet Road as a template, a lovely stretch of “Wine Heaven” road between Windsor and Santa Rosa,…
